There is always a reason why a boyfriend or girlfriend becomes an ex, and many times things don’t end on the best terms. While I am not sure what the circumstances were surrounding the break-up between the boyfriend and girlfriend in today’s blog, I am pretty certain it was not an amicable split. According to the news report, a man called the police claiming his ex-girlfriend was outside his house trying to break in one of the windows. By the time the police arrived, the woman had fled, but texted her ex while police were still there telling him to check his car. At that point, the car was in flames and a complete loss by the time the fire department was able to put it out. The man was able to convince his ex to meet up with him, where police were waiting to arrest her for 2nd Degree Arson – Domestic Violence.
Larimer County Arson in the Second Degree Definition: Car Fire Included
The Colorado law definition of Second Degree Arson – C.R.S. 18-4-103 – is:
“A person who knowingly sets fire to, burns, causes to be burned, or by the use of any explosive damages or destroys, or causes to be damaged or destroyed, any property of another without his consent, other than a building or occupied structure, commits second degree arson.”
When it comes to Second Degree Arson, the amount of damage matters. If the damage total is less than $100, then the Arson is charged as a class 2 misdemeanor. But, fire rarely causes such little damage. Most often where fire occurs, more than $100 worth of damage will be sustained, much like the story above. When this is the case, the 2nd Degree Arson is charged as a class 4 felony, a much more serious offense. In Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County, a class 4 felony is punishable by 2 to 6 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $500,000 in fines.
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Fort Collins Domestic Violence Attorney: Can Arson and Domestic Violence Be Related?
Domestic Violence is not a criminal charge in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park. It is actually a sentence enhancer that can be added to any crime- even Arson. Anytime a crime is committed and the accused and victim have been in an intimate relationship, the Domestic Violence (DV) sentence enhancer can be added. When DV is added, the defendant would not only be facing the punishment for the underlying crime, but also other punitive measures like domestic violence treatment and mandatory protection orders, which can prevent contact with the victim and any shared minor children. In most cases, the accused will be prevented from owning a firearm ever again.